Tag / prep

by guyeatsfood

No Such Thing As An Overshare – Breaking down Player and Character Knowledge

We can play TTRPG games better now. We don’t need to take a player aside into another room to share some secret knowledge with them. We don’t need to roll in secret behind a screen. Our players can happily separate player and character knowledge, without taking advantage – and enjoy both sides of the curtain. 

We don’t need to pass notes at the table any more.

So, given that player and character knowledge is often useful to know at the same time (and we’re comfortable with author and actor stance being occupied simultaneously) – why not break down some more barriers? Here are some ideas that I’ve gathered and tried

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

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by guyeatsfood

Prep Technique: The Solo RPG

You can’t escape that there’s been a massive rise in Solo RPGs over the past few years. A glance at itch.io makes it look like the industry is drowning in solo journaling games, and there’s a whole culture of youtubers and streamers who play solo and share their thoughts and approaches. 

It’s true, it can feel a bit awkward to start with. But if you’re ignoring this part of the hobby, even if (like me) you’d much rather play with a group, I think you’re missing out. In fact, solo RPGs can be a huge part of your prep arsenal, giving benefit to your group play.

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

I’m going to talk about three ways Solo RPGs can help you prep for group play, and then go through what you might use for them.

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by guyeatsfood

“I never drink… wine…” – Three Gaming Things from Dracula (1931)

Last week, I watched the classic Todd Browning 1931 Dracula film. It’s Bela Lugosi’s career-defining masterpiece, and without doubt a horror classic. Dated, of course, and it shows its origins as the film of a play of a book a little too obviously. It’s definitely imperfect to a modern viewer like me, which means it’s ideal to mine for TTRPG advice! So here’s three things in Dracula that we can use in our games, horror or otherwise.

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

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by guyeatsfood

Prep Matters – how much I do, and why zero-prep is wrong

There’s been a bit of chatter on the #TTRPG internet again about zero-prep games, and whether this is a misnomer, a false claim, or even harmful to the hobby. So, in an attempt to clarify what some people are saying, I’d like to talk you through an example of prep for a convention game that I’ve got coming up.

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

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by guyeatsfood

Showcase Prep – Showing Off A Game

I’m prepping some games for Unconventional GMs at the moment, and I usually prefer to run my own stuff. Why? Well, we need it to work in the 2hr format, which not only reduces the scope of what I can run, but also means I need to be able to confidently busk a resolution – all easier if I’ve rolled my own stuff to start with. The method I’m using for these is something I’m calling Showcase Prep – and I think it’s great to use for lots of one-shots, whether these are for conventions, streaming, or just to play with you friends.

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

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by guyeatsfood

Supercharge your One-Shot, Part 5: Big Starts

In this series, I’m going to be showcasing some techniques you can drop into almost any one-shot TTRPG session to improve it – even if the adventure you’re running is already published, these will make it better. Each one is minimum-prep, and guaranteed to be well worth it at the table. Check out the previous posts here (adding sidekicks), here (hexcrawl plots), here (deadlining fights), and here (montages)

Start Big

The beginning of your session is the most important part of the session – it’ll be the first thing your players experience, and if you’re going to keep pace ticking along, you need to start with this. Structurally, this also means you should completely avoid one of the classic one-shot openers; the mission briefing. These are invariably dull as ditchwater – and slow the pace right down as the most cautious player asks question after question to try and wrangle more information out of the briefer. 

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

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by guyeatsfood

Supercharge your One-Shot, Part 3: Deadline Fights

In this series, I’m going to be showcasing some techniques you can drop into almost any one-shot TTRPG session to improve it – even if the adventure you’re running is already published, these will make it better. Each one is minimum-prep, and guaranteed to be well worth it at the table.

In Part 1, we looked at hirelings and sidekicks. In Part 2, we looked at a hexcrawl structure. Today, we’re looking at improving set-piece fights by DEADLINING THEM.

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

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by guyeatsfood

Supercharge your One-Shot, Part 2: Hexcrawl Plots

In this series, I’m going to be showcasing some techniques you can drop into almost any one-shot TTRPG session to improve it – even if the adventure you’re running is already published, these will make it better. Each one is minimum-prep, and guaranteed to be well worth it at the table. Check out Part 1!

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks! Patrons also get further examples of these superchargers in action – including a plot sketch for a fantasy adventure.

So here goes, with part 2 – 

Plan your Plots like Hexcrawls

No, I don’t mean like enormous maps with loads of places to go to – just like a standard set of hexcrawl roses. Have events, actions, and revelations in each – making the players have more choice and options in the middle of the one-shot, and a defined start and end – like this:

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by guyeatsfood

Supercharge your One-Shot, Part 1: Sidekicks

In this series, I’m going to be showcasing some techniques you can drop into almost any one-shot TTRPG session to improve it – even if the adventure you’re running is already published, these will make it better. Each one is minimum-prep, and guaranteed to be well worth it at the table.

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

So here goes, with part 1 – 

Give the Party Sidekicks

A good sidekick is great roleplaying fodder, even if they’re a hapless Duck adventurer. Image of Crontas by John Ossoway
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by guyeatsfood

“To Boldly Game…” – Playing Star Trek TTRPGs: A Guide to One-Shots and Campaigns

For a media franchise so big in everyone’s minds, it’s no surprise that Star Trek has seen a few TTRPGs through the years. And, as we’re currently in the Neutral Zone between editions of Modiphius’ Star Trek Adventures, I thought I’d explore a few ways to play Starfleet, using this or other systems. For me, Star Trek is a brilliant genre to play in, especially for one shots, and I’d be very happy to see more of it offered at conventions.

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks!

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